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This morning Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson finally named the officer who shot and killed the unarmed Mike Brown: Darren Wilson. Wilson had been with the force for six years and had no disciplinary record — whatever that means when the people judging your behavior also think it’s fine to respond to protests with tear gas, rubber bullets, and dogs.

In a move as infuriating as it was unsurprising, Jackson tried to cast aspersions on the 18-year-old victim’s character with a convoluted and seemingly unrelated story about a “strongarm robbery” that occurred around the same time. The victim-blaming tactic is cruel and dishonest; it’s clear the Chief sees police brutality as a PR problem to be spun away, rather than a crisis of justice. This goes without saying, but despite Jackon’s attempts to subtly link the two events, there isn’t any reason to think Brown was involved in the robbery — but even if he were, execution isn’t the punishment for stealing.

Alexandra Brodsky is an editor at Feministing.com, student at Yale Law School, and co-director of Know Your IX.

New Haven, CT

Alexandra Brodsky is an editor at Feministing.com, student at Yale Law School, and founding co-director of Know Your IX, a national legal education campaign against campus gender-based violence. Alexandra has written for publications including the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Guardian, and the Nation, and she has spoken about violence against women and reproductive justice on MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, and NPR. Through Know Your IX, she has organized with students across the country to build campuses free from discrimination and violence, developed federal policy on Title IX enforcement, and has testified at the Senate. At Yale Law, Alexandra focuses on antidiscrimination law and is a member of the Veterans Legal Services Clinic. Alexandra is committed to developing and strengthening responses to gender-based violence outside the criminal justice system through writing, organizing, and the law. Keep an eye out for The Feminist Utopia Project, co-edited by Alexandra and forthcoming from the Feminist Press (2015).

Alexandra Brodsky is an editor at Feministing.com, student at Yale Law School, and founding co-director of Know Your IX.

“This is not to say there aren’t vast differences and nuances that need to always be named, but our oppressors are literally collaborating together, learning from one another – and as oppressed people we have to do the same.” – Cherrell Brown

The outrage on my Facebook feed has grown dramatically over the last six months against the militarization of American cities. I’m glad Ferguson has prompted fresh scrutiny of federal programs that allow local police departments to acquire military weapons.

I’m glad we are having some important conversations: we are talking about there being a certain color of the skin of the people gunned down in the name of security ...

Ed. note: This post was originally published on the Community site.

“This is not to say there aren’t vast differences and nuances that need to always be named, but our oppressors are literally collaborating together, learning from one ...

Jessie Hernandez’ friends describe her as goofy, lovable, with an infectious smile. On Monday morning, the Denver police officers saw in Jessie — a Latina, queer-presenting young person — a threat. For this reason, Jessie is now dead. Just another person extrajudicially killed by a police officer.

On Monday morning just after 7am, police officers from the Denver Police Department arrived in an alley where Jessie Hernandez and a few friends were parked on a call of suspicious activity. When the officers determined the vehicle had been reported stolen, the officers approached the vehicle. Police said that when they approached, the driver hit one of the officers with the car. Both officers fired several shots, struck, and killed Jessie. It ...

Jessie Hernandez’ friends describe her as goofy, lovable, with an infectious smile. On Monday morning, the Denver police officers saw in Jessie — a Latina, queer-presenting young person — a threat. For this reason, Jessie is ...